Collapsible shopping cart



March 2, 1948. w HOWARD 2,437,029

COLLAPSiBLE" SHOPPING CART Filed Jan. 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l iZZiamB. Howard 3 1 mmvrog March 2, 1948. HOWARD 2,437,029

COLLAPSIBLE SHOPPING. CART I Filed Jan. 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2William B. Howard.

1N VEN TOR.

Patented Mar. 2, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE SHOPPINGCART William B. Howard, La Jolla, Calif.

Application January 12, 1946, Serial No. 640,845

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to carriers and has particular reference toimprovements in shopping carts.

An object of the invention is to provide a shopping cart which. is notonly collapsible and convenient to carry when not used as a cara but onewhich is exceptionally light for its size.

Another object of the invention is to provide a retractable handlehaving an inexpensive and novel latch forming a part thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide means on a cart 'of thedescribed class whereby the same may be connected with'another pushvehicle, such as a baby carriage.

These and other objects will become apparent from the followingdescription of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shopping cart embodying the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the cart illustrated in Figure 1,but showing the same in its collapsed or retracted position.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of a portion of the back of the cart,and particularly showing the arrangement and location of the latchmechanism.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the latch shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a back elevational view of the cart and showing the locationof folding hooks thereon for attaching the cart to a baby carriage orthe like.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on lines 66 of Figure 5 andshowing one of the hooks in its extended position.

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken on lines 'II of Figure 5 and showingthe arrangement for mounting the wheels, and

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on lines 8--8 of Figure 5 and showingthe arrangement used for attaching the bag of the cart to the back orframe member.

The cart shown includes a sheet metal back I, having forwardly flangededges 2 along each side, and a forwardly flanged lower edge 3 as shownin Figures 1 and 6. The cart also includes a bag 4 of fabric or otherflexible material and having substantially triangular ends 5, the lowerends of which are preferably curved. The bag also includes a rectangularfront to which is sewed to the ends 5. Forwardly disposed brackets .'Iare attached to the sides of the back I and pivotally engage the ends ofan inverted U-shaped rod 8 which is positioned through the hem 9 of theupper end of the rectangular portion 6 of the said has.

As particularly shown in Figure 8, the end portions 5 of the bag 4 aresecured to the back I by means of riveted vertical strips of metal 18.The edges of the bag ends 5 are positioned under the strip I0 from wherethey are directed toward the center of the cart, around the inner edgeof the strip I0, and thence over the said strip and toward the front ofthe cart. Similarly, the bottom edge of the bag front 6 is secured bymeans of a horizontal strip I I, shown by dotted lines in Figure 5,which strip is also riveted in place.

Near the upper front central portion of the back I there is a projectingfastener stud I2, which engages a fastener snap I 3 sewed or otherwiseattached to a corresponding area inside of the bag front 5. The thus fardescribed arrangement provides for foldable bag 4 which may be opened orclosed as desired, and when closed detachably secured by the fastenerparts I2 and IS.

.A vertical channel I4 is secured to the center of the back I, as byriveting, and slidably receives therein an elongated flat handle I5having a grip I6 at its upper end. It will be noted in Figure 1 that thehandle I5 is provided with a groove IT in its face to accommodate therearwardly extending portion (not shown) of the fastener stud I2.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rear surface of the handle I5 isprovided with spaced lateral grooves I8 for engagement with a latchassembly I9 whereby the handle I5 may be adjusted and secured at variousextended lengths.

Th latch I9 is secured to the longitudinal center of the channel I4 andis comprised of a hook-shaped spring member 20, the curved end of whichextends inwardly through an opening 2I in the said channel where itnormally engages one of the lateral grooves I8. The arcuate portion ofthe hook-shaped member I 9 has a rectangular opening 22 to receive ahook-shaped lever member 23 therethrough. The arcuate end of the lastreferred to member 23 is received within the arc of the first member I9,whereas the extended portion of the said lever member rests on one edgeof the opening 22. It will be noted in Figure 3 that the lever member 23is T-shaped at its arcuate end whereby the same is retained within thearc of the larger member I 9. By this arrangement the fastener may beassembled by turning the lever member 23, inserting the arcuate end ofthe .same through the opening 22, and by then arranging the lengths ofthe two members I 9 and 23. It will also be noted that the extendingportion of the lever member 23 projects outwardly at an angle withrespect to the larger member I9. By pressing the extending portion ofthe lever member 23, the arcuate end of the latch member 20 is moved todisengage any of the lateral grooves I8, allowing the handle I5 to bemanually extended or retracted. As will be noted in Figures 2 and 5, thelever grip I6, may be positioned close to the upper edge of the back Ifor conveniently carrying the cart by hand when it is either empty orReference is now made to Figures 5, 6 and 7 wherein details for mountingthe Wheels 24 are shown. On each side of the lower end of the back Ithere are pairs of spaced brackets 25 which have their flanges extendingrearwardly of the said back. Bolts 26, on which the wheels are mounted,extend through the flanges of the brackets 25' and are secured at theirinner ends by nuts 21.

described wheel mountings 25 and 26 and the flanged side and bottomedges 2 and 3.

What is claimed is:

In a shopping cart the combination of a back of sheet material, wheelsmounted on the said back at the lower end thereof, a vertically disposedchannel secured to the said back, a slidable handle positioned withinthe said channel, lateral grooves in the said handle, an opening in theThe last described arrangement makesfor ,relatively light weightconstruction.

Above the lateral center of the back I, andparallel to the length of thehandle l5, foldable books 28 are mounted on each side of the channel 14for'attaching the present cart to a baby carriage, child s wagon, or thelike (not shown) The hooks 28 are secured for limited rotation by meansof clevises riveted or otherwise secured to the back I, and the saidhooks are secured against 20 longitudinal displacement by projectingpins 39 at their lower ends, and by the curved shape of the said hooksat their upper ends. The clevises 29 engage the hooks 28 tightly so asto provide frictional engagement and cause the said hooks to remainasmanually positioned.

Generally, the described shopping cart is convenient to handle by reasonof the foldable bag land retractablehandlelii. The described hooks addto the carts utility. The described construc- 30 tion is relativelylight and strong by reason of the back of the said channel forregistering with the said grooves, and a spring actuated latch forextending through the said opening and engaging any of the said grooves.

' WILLIAM B. HOWARD.

REEERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:-

V UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 711,933 France Sept. 21, 1931

